CYRENIUS CONTINUED, 'Oh friend, that is surely a very difficult situation.

2

If you have any counsel for that in the living chamber of your truly divine wisdom, then let me hear it.

3

For the more I think about this matter now, the more critical and complicated it appears!'

4

And Joseph replied to Cyrenius: 'Listen to me, my esteemed friend! It is very easy to help you out of this predicament.

5

I will give you some good advice in this matter which will show you what is right and what you should do.

6

'See, in your heart you are now of my living faith and love and honor the one true God along with me!

7

Now I will tell you this: As long as you are filled with anxiety, God will do nothing for you.

8

But as soon as you lay all your troubles upon Him and are only concerned and anxious as to how you may know and love this true God ever more and more,

9

He will then begin to help you in all things, and everything which still appears crooked to you today will be made straight before you tomorrow.

10

Therefore have this city cleared of rubble only wherever people might still be buried beneath it, which is now being done.

11

But leave in ruins all other temples beneath whose rubble there lie nothing than at best a few very unshapely, worthless and smashed idols.

12

For that which is destroyed by the elements counts as much with this blind people as if the gods had destroyed it.

13

This people will therefore not even make the effort to rebuild these temples,

14

for it is afraid that if it is active contrary to the will of the gods, it could draw a great punishment upon itself.

15

Now there are no more such priests who on the basis of a fictitious demand of the gods would have undertaken this to their own advantage by the hands and means of the people -

16

and those who still live will never build temples for idols.

17

So you can be wholly without concern in this matter. The Lord of heaven and earth will bring about that which is best for you and for the whole people.

18

And in our time several cities will meet a similar fate anyhow in that they will be smothered with rubble here and there, so it will hardly be noticed when this old city becomes a complete ruin in ten years.'

19

These words of Joseph comforted Cyrenius, and he returned to the villa with him in a happy frame of mind.